Insulated rail-joint.



F. B. com-1v. INSULATED RAIL JOINT. AP-P LICATIO I FILED JAN. 18, 1916-Patented Mar. 7,1916.

1 FRED B. COREY, OF EDGEIVOQD PARK, PENNSYLVANIA.

INSULATED BAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

"Patented Mar. 7, 1916.

' t Application filed January 18, 1916. Serial No. 72,678.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRED B. Conny, a citizenof the, United States, residing at EdgewoodPark, in the. county ofAllegheny and State'of Pennsylvania, have invented cerilELlIL new anduseful Improvements in Insulated Rail-Joints, of which the following isa specification.

My invention relates to insulated rail joints, used in connection withrailway Sig-- nal apparatus, to interrupt the electrical 1 continuity ofthe track rails, as required in track circuit signaling.

The ob ects of my invention are to secure the maximum strength anddurability of the railrjoint with a minimum amount of insulatingmaterial, andto guard against the natural tendency of the insulating material to move out of position when subjected to the excessive vibrationand strains due to heavy traffic over the rails that are joined by suchinsulated joints. i

. My invention consists ina novel method of forming the strips ofinsulating material metal splice-bars and incorporating such strips ofinsulating material into a rail joint ing strips are of properconstruction. The said insulatformed with fiat parallel sides withathickened edge which prevents the strips from being forced out of thejoint.

In the drawings which illustrate my invention, Figure 1 is across-sectionalview ofan insulated rail joint embodying my invention.Fig. 2 15 a cross-sectional view of a strip of insulation, drawn to anenlarged scale, showing-the method of. its construction. Fig. 3 is aside view ofan insulatedjoint, drawn to areduced scale, indicating theway in which the joint is applied to the track rails of'a railway.

In the drawings 1 and 2 are two contiguous track rails that areconnected by the 1 insulated joint. 3 and 4 are theste'el splicebars'that'hold the track rails joined and impro er alinement.

i 5 yand'fi are/strips ofinsulating material separating the splice bars3 and 4:- from the heads of the rails 1 and 2, while 7 and 8 are similarstrips of insulating material soparating the saidsplicebars 3 and 4 fromthe flanges of the said rails 1 and 2. These 1 strips of insulatingmaterial may be con' tinuous fromend to end 'of thejoints, as

' be divided at the center,

shown, or may between the rails and the 6, 7 and 8 that constitute theessential features of my invention.

9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 1a are six bolts by" means of which the splicebars 3 and 4: are

secured in place. The construction surrounding each of these bolts isclearly shown fin Fig. 1, in which 15 and 16 are short tubes or sleevesof insulating material surrounding. the bolt 10, and 17 and 18 arewashers of similar insulating material. In contact? with theseinsulating washers 17 and 18 are'the steel washers 19 and 20 which serveto protect the said insulating washers 17 and 18. The bolt 10 is held inplace and the Whole structure securely clamped by the {hut 21. It is tobe understood that the structure just described in connection with thebolt 10 is repeated for each of the, bolts 9, 11; 12, 13 and 14. Thecontiguous ends of the rails 1. and 2 are separated by a piece ofinsulating material 22 (see Fig. 3) commonly called the end post.

Referring now to Fig. 2, the construction of the insulating strips 5, 6,7 and 8 is more fully shown. A. strip of insulation 23 is built up ofsuperimposed layers of canvas or similar fabric and thoroughly saturatedwith bakelite or similar insulating substance. This strip 23 is of onehalf the thickness and approximately double the width required for thefinished insulation. At the center of the strip 23 is placed a narrowpiece 243 of absorbent material which is also thoroughly saturated withthe insulating substance, and the strip 23 is then folded on itselfsothat a strip is formed having a thickness of doublethe originalthickness throughout the greater portion of the strip and an increasedthickness along =.=ne edge due to the insertion' of the part 24. -Thisfolded strip is then placed in a suitable mold andsubjected to thecombined action of heat and pressure. This process converts the wholepiece into a hard compact mass of uniform structure, as great strengthand high insulation resistance. The finish-ed strip iso-f uniformthickness except near the edge 25 where the thickness is considerablygreater. The

canvas, cordage or other 7 form of the mold is such that the finishedinsulation will conform to the shape of the rails. and splice bars withwhich the insula tion is to be used. It edge. that prevents improperdisplacement this thickened inner iio the insulation When the joint isinservice With my improved insulation it is unnecessary to make anymodification of the usual form'of splice bars and other parts of thejoint, as these improvedinsulating strips can be used in place of thevordinary vulcanized fiber or bakelized canvas heretofore used. "In thosecases Where the space hetweeuj thel splice bar; and the eb of the rail[is not sufiicient to accommodate the thickened edge, it is necessaryonly to increase I as the thickness ofithe main portion of theinsul'ation so as to prevent the'splice bars from being drawn too closeto the Web of the rail.

' I do not desire to limit myself to the exact construction andarrangement of parts here shown, but aim in the appended claims to coverall modifications that are Within the scope-of my invention;

What I claim as new and desire to secure 1 by Letters Patent of theUnited States is- 1. In an insulated rail joint, an insulating stripformed offabrie folded upon itself 2. In an insulated rail joint, afolded strip of insulating material and a second strip of materialinclosed in the said folded strip. T a

In an insulated rail joint, a folded strip of insulating material and-Yasecond strip of material inclosed in the said folded strip, the Wholebeing formed into a compact mass by the combined action of heat andpressure. 4. The process of producing a strip of insulating material.consisting of folding a flexible strip ofinsulating material about asecond strip of material and forming the Whole into a. compact mass bypressure Within a heated mold.

5. In an insulated rail joint, a. strip of insulating material formed oflayers of fabric impregnated with insulating compound,

the, number of layers of fabric in the edge portion Of th'said stripbeing greater than the number of layers in the main port1on.;'

"In' Witness whereof I have set my handthis 14th day of January 1916.

FRED B. COREY.

Witnesses:

SIMON F. Lone, D. iX'lWELLa

